1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to systems and methods for diagnosing and treating the eye, and more particularly, to systems and methods for measuring biomechanical properties of the eye to plan, implement, and assess treatments of the eye.
2. Description of Related Art
Cross-linking treatments may be employed to treat eyes suffering from disorders, such as keratoconus. In particular, keratoconus is a degenerative disorder of the eye in which structural changes within the cornea cause it to weaken and change to an abnormal conical shape. Cross-linking treatments can strengthen and stabilize areas of weakness in the structure of the cornea. For example, a photosensitizing agent (e.g., riboflavin) is applied to the cornea as a cross-linking agent. Once the cross-linking agent has been applied to the cornea, the cross-linking agent is activated by a light source (e.g., ultraviolet (UV) light) to cause the cross-linking agent to absorb enough energy to cause the release of free oxygen radicals (e.g., singlet oxygen) and/or other radicals within the cornea. Once released, the radicals form covalent bonds between corneal collagen fibrils and thereby cause the corneal collagen fibrils to cross-link and strengthen and stabilize the structure of the cornea. The success of procedures, such as cross-linking treatment, in addressing eye disorders depends on determining accurately the areas of the eye that require treatment and assessing the results of the treatment.